Peak rotary vise vs. Rensetti Traveler vise

[BassBugged 0]

I know there are quite a few topics like this, but I want to narrow this argument down to my tying situation or style.

I'm going to upgrade my vise soon. I've been tying on a griffin odyssey spider, but I'm giving it to my friend who just started tying. I'm looking at the Peak rotary and the Renzetti Traveler. I mostly tie larger flies (12-2/0). I'm looking for a pedestal base vise. I might get into tube flies soon too, and I'm not sure if I should get a HMH adapter or another vise head for whichever vise I choose. Price, quality, stability, and accessories are my main concerns. Any help you can give me is much appreciated, especially if you have used both vises. Thanks.

[JSzymczyk 0]

I've used both. For what you describe, Peak is the clear choice. I have the HMH tube adapter which I use in my Peak, zero issues. Compared to the Renzetti traveler, the Peak feels like a solid, heavy duty piece of gear. Not too many people can argue anything against Peak's pedestal base, it is very highly regarded. Also the $50 you save will buy a lot of hooks. Peak's standard jaws are completely well suited for anything from about 22 to as big as you can fit. I don't usually tie anything smaller than 20, and I only do that very rarely, but like you I tie a lot of 14 to huge. I have had my Peak as my primary vise for about 7 years I think, and every time I tie on something else it reminds me that I made the right choice.

 

So now the next guy is going to say that the Renzetti is the better choice.

[petelangevin 0]

I would go with the peak as well! For pretty much the same reasons. Its solid, well engineered and you may never have to upgrade again. I have the hmh tube adaptor and have used it in many vises. (Although the eumer adaptor is a better deal as you get more collets but i digress).

 

Yes definitely go with the peak!

[essequamvideri 0]

I am going to agree with the above comments. I too was in the market 5 years ago and ended up purchasing a Peak. To me, it felt stronger and it felt as though it would hold a hook better ( I know others will tell me they have no problem with hook slippage on their Renzetti. It is what I felt at the time).

Although these are not a necessity, I ended up purchasing all three jaws. I find it easier to tie 18's and smaller on the midge jaws. However, it is much better to tie 1's and larger on the saltwater jaws. Especially on stainless hooks.

The only two accessory I would recommend, first would be the brass screw kit because it holds the head in place better than the derlyn screw and the fact that it looks a hole lot better. Second would be the C-clamp base. If you are tying big flies, especially when spinning deer hair, this is an incredibly strong base. It will not allow the vise to go anywhere. One thing I found interesting about the C-clamp base was how much variance in thickness of a table it will fit. I have used it on picnic tables while camping and I have used it on my desk at work. My desk at work has a 5/8" top.

 

Good luck in you decision process.

 

Michael

 

p.s. I had an issue with the brass riser not fitting correctly. I called Peak and they told me to send it back and they would take care of it. I was completely, unequivocally hassle free. They were great.

[Kudu 0]

I have the Renzetti. It is a nice vise but the version you are inquiring about and which I own is very light hence the name, Traveller. For the tying you describe a beefier vise would be better suited.

[agn54 0]

I agree with the others on the Peak, an absolutely awesome vise. I tie primarily saltwater up to about 3/0 on the standard jaws with no problems. As was already stated, the base is one of the best on the market and the jaws are extremely strong. I have never tied on the Renzetti so can't compare the two but you can't go wrong with the Peak. The HMH adapter is a great tool that I use a lot. I have used it in the Peak and it worked great, though I usually use it in an HMH spartan.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

+1 on everything said about the Peak. Been tying on mine for 2+ years and can't say enough good about it.

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

Price, quality, stability, and accessories are my main concerns. Any help you can give me is much appreciated, especially if you have used both vises.

 

Price - well the Renzetti Traveler is $164.95 (list) and the Peak is $149.99. The price so close it's a hard call. The Renzetti Traveler has a cam action jaw and the Peak a collet style jaw. The Renzetti cam rides on ball-bearings and the Peak collet is a hard surface to hard surface compression. The Renzetti Traveler holds hooks up to size 4/0 the Peak up to 2/0 (per spec page for each company) and both will go down to really small hook sizes (Renzetti list the small end as size 28, Peak says the jaws close completely so they can hold even the smallest wire - Renzetti jaws close completely)

 

Stability - get a C-clamp if you want stability. To get real stability with a pedestal you need one so heavy you wouldn't want to move it. However, with that said there are a lot of advantages to a pedestal base. I've found it isn't the weight of the base that makes a pedestal vise seem stable - it's learning to work with the pedestal base that makes it seem stable. The biggest thing is to always rotate the jaws so that you are always pulling down with you apply thread tension. If you need to pull tightly when mounting something on the size of the hook - use your rotary feature - rotate the side to the top and pull down.

 

Accessories - If you decide to do Tube Flies the HMH rig will work with either vise. Both have Tube Fly heads, midge jaws or saltwater jaws available. The Renzetti has an optional head designed while working with Bob Clouser specifically for tying that fly.

 

Take a look at Renzetti's YouTube page. They have a number of Traveler Videos up there showing adjustments and conversions. The link is http://www.youtube.com/user/renzettiinc

 

I didn't see a Peak Channel on YouTube but there are Peak videos up there. On their site Peak has links to people tying with their vise. Their page with the videos is at http://peakfishing.com/On-LineVideos.html

 

 

Both will hold a hook well without slipping (I've tied on both and can say that firsthand) and give you years of service. I've been a Renzetti fan since I bought my first Renzetti vise around 1980 (still using it) and haven't found any reason to change. If it were my money I'd pay the extra $15.00 and buy the Renzetti Traveler for the extra hook range and the ball-bearing riding cam action jaw.

[FLdk 0]

I have the Renzetti Traveller too.
For large flies, and specially muddler types where "muscle" is used, the base is too light for me.
Not sure, but maybe the Saltwater Traveller is better ?
Or, as rotaryflytyingdotcom said above, get the c-clamp if you need to pull a lot of tension.

[whatfly 0]

Renzetti Saltwater Traveler sounds like a better fit for your tying, but the Peak would work as well. I personally prefer tying on the Renzetti versus the Peak, but that is a subjective judgement. Both have warranties, repair services, etc., but those are only as good as the company survives and Renzetti has been around quite some time whereas Peak is still pretty new. That being said, I'm convinced that the reason the price difference is so low between the two (did not used to be) is because Renzetti is losing business to Peak, when they used to rule that price point. I do not think you will go wrong if you buy either product.

[essequamvideri 0]

Price, quality, stability, and accessories are my main concerns. Any help you can give me is much appreciated, especially if you have used both vises.

 

Price - well the Renzetti Traveler is $164.95 (list) and the Peak is $149.99. The price so close it's a hard call. The Renzetti Traveler has a cam action jaw and the Peak a collet style jaw. The Renzetti cam rides on ball-bearings and the Peak collet is a hard surface to hard surface compression. The Renzetti Traveler holds hooks up to size 4/0 the Peak up to 2/0 (per spec page for each company) and both will go down to really small hook sizes (Renzetti list the small end as size 28, Peak says the jaws close completely so they can hold even the smallest wire - Renzetti jaws close completely)

 

Stability - get a C-clamp if you want stability. To get real stability with a pedestal you need one so heavy you wouldn't want to move it. However, with that said there are a lot of advantages to a pedestal base. I've found it isn't the weight of the base that makes a pedestal vise seem stable - it's learning to work with the pedestal base that makes it seem stable. The biggest thing is to always rotate the jaws so that you are always pulling down with you apply thread tension. If you need to pull tightly when mounting something on the size of the hook - use your rotary feature - rotate the side to the top and pull down.

 

Accessories - If you decide to do Tube Flies the HMH rig will work with either vise. Both have Tube Fly heads, midge jaws or saltwater jaws available. The Renzetti has an optional head designed while working with Bob Clouser specifically for tying that fly.

 

Take a look at Renzetti's YouTube page. They have a number of Traveler Videos up there showing adjustments and conversions. The link is http://www.youtube.com/user/renzettiinc

 

I didn't see a Peak Channel on YouTube but there are Peak videos up there. On their site Peak has links to people tying with their vise. Their page with the videos is at http://peakfishing.com/On-LineVideos.html

 

 

Both will hold a hook well without slipping (I've tied on both and can say that firsthand) and give you years of service. I've been a Renzetti fan since I bought my first Renzetti vise around 1980 (still using it) and haven't found any reason to change. If it were my money I'd pay the extra $15.00 and buy the Renzetti Traveler for the extra hook range and the ball-bearing riding cam action jaw.

Mike,

 

Is this you?

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

Yep

[BassBugged 0]

Thank you all, for your help. What difference does the collet or cam jaw make?

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

BassBugged, The lever movement that closes a cam jaw is essentially sliding a wedge between the two halfs of the jaw at the bottom of the jaw pieces. This forces the tops of the jaw together. To prevent galling of the hard surfaces (the steel wedge against the steel jaw) roller bearing are used. This type of jaw creates extreme clamping pressure and this type of jaw is what the Renzetti Traveler has.

 

The action that closes a collet jaw uses a level (or in the case of my old Renzetti collet style vise a knob you turn) to force the jaws up into a cone. As the jaws move up into the cone the tips are forced together.

 

The Renzetti vise I bought in the 80's uses the collet jaw and I have never had a galling problem even though the jaws have had to slide into and back out of that collet thousands of times. I keep the collet clean and lubed. I have had small bits of junk get into the collet and have had to clean the sleeve after realizing there was a reason the jaws worked hard.

 

Both systems work but the long and short of it is cam action jaw (using a wedge on roller bearings to clamp the jaws) generates more clamping pressure than a collet jaw. At least that has been my observation. I know when Renzetti introduced the cam jaws despite a years long love affair with my Renzetti 3000 collet style vise I knew envy. All of a sudden I could clamp a saltwater sized hook and bend the wire before it would slip. That's when I started using a Traveler for tying on hooks over size 2.

[essequamvideri 0]

Yep

Glad to here from you.